Ganderbal: Central University of Kashmir (CUK) Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mehraj ud Din Mir Wednesday said the Draft National Education Policy-2019 has addressed number of issues which were left in earlier policies and the School and Higher education have been put apart while emphasis have been given to the school education.
“School education lays foundation and it is from there the child gets proper direction,” Prof. Mehraj ud Din Mir said while addressing one-day seminar on “Draft National Education Policy-2019” organised jointly by the School of Education (SoE) and Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) of the Central University of Kashmir (CUK) at Green Campus here. Prof. Mehraj ud Din Mir said the new policy wants to create a suitable environment for imparting education not only at the university level, but also at the primary and pre-primary level also. He said a provision has been made to devise a curriculum for the 0-3 age groups and also for parents. He added the figures and facts reveal that the universities in India produce army of graduates who fail to get employment. He asked the Dean School of Education to hold the next workshop with principals of college and higher secondary schools, so that inputs could be gathered from them also.
Central University of Jammu (CUJ), Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ashok Aima, University of Kashmir Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Talat Ahmed, Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mushtaq A Siddiqi, Registrar, CUK, Prof. Fayaz Ahmad Nikka, Director IQAC, Prof. G M Bhat, former Head and Dean Faculty of Education, University of Kashmir, Prof. A G Madhosh, Dean School of Education, Dr. Syed Zahoor Ahmad Geelani, Deans of other faculties, heads and coordinators of departments, faculty members, research scholars and students were also present during the event.
Addressing the gathering, University of Kashmir, Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Prof. Talat Ahmed, said that there are some good things about the policy and some things, which need serious attention. “The categorization of the university into three types including Research University, teaching and colleges giving the certificates. I do not know how it is going to be useful. Why do we have to discriminate between one against the other university,” he questioned, adding that it is always better to give opportunity to all the universities.
Speaking on the occasion, CUJ Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ashok Aima in his address said the policy needs to accommodate the diversity of language, culture, region if it has to become successful in times to come. Prof. Aima said that we have now become part of the digitalized world, which has cut across the time and barrier and the teaching has gone outside the classroom now. “The students, especially in PG institutions have become independent learners which is a big challenge and determines the efficacy of a teacher in classroom,” he said.
In his keynote address on higher education, IUST VC, Prof. Mushtaq A Siddiqi, said, the Committee constituted for drafting the “Draft national Education Policy-2019” should have been headed by an academician. “There were no practicing school teacher and no pass out students on the Committee, despite them being the major stakeholders in the education policy,” Prof. Mushtaq A Siddiqi said. He said that most of the things mentioned in the new draft policy are adoption of European and North American education system. “We cannot adopt a system, which has evolved over a period of seven decades,” he said citing the example of difficulties faced in adoption of Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) in higher educational institutions across India.
In his keynote address, former Head and Dean Faculty of Education, University of Kashmir, Prof. A G Madhosh, said that over the years, the Centre and the State of Jammu and Kashmir constituted several panels and commissions (many of which were headed by him) for improving the quality of education in schools and higher educational institutions, which submitted detailed reports about the same to the senior government functionaries. “However, the reports have yet to see the light of the day,” Prof. Madhosh said adding that the important thing about the Draft National Education Policy-2019 is that it should be implemented immediately and in toto.
In his special address, Registrar, Prof. Fayaz Ahmad Nikka, said that all the policies are framed by the concerned subject experts and very little scope remains for modification. “However, these policies are kept in open for public discussion and deliberations in order to receive substantial recommendations and suggestions to further improve upon them,” Prof. Fayaz Ahmad Nikka said. He said the government devises good policies in every sector, but the same are not implemented in letter and spirit. Prof Nikka said any policy decision with respect to education could not be implemented well unless there is combined efforts from both the Central and State Governments.
In his welcome address, Director IQAC, Prof. G M Bhat, highlighted the importance of seminar saying that the draft national education policy-2019 has its relevance for all the stakeholders in the country. He said that if we do not discuss the policy threadbare, it would not be possible for us to seek modifications in the same. Prof. Bhat said that such policies have long drawn implications.
Dean School of Education, Dr. Syed Zahoor Geelani said, the main objective of organizing the event was to give a platform to the experts to deliberate the new education policy thoroughly and point out the deficiencies. He said, “the National Education Policy 2019 has laid emphasis on the teacher education. The improvement in teacher education will considerably improve the whole education system in the country.”
Assistant Professors, School of Education, Dr. Muhammad Syed Bhat and Ms. Arokia Mary conducted the programme proceedings and said the recommendations and suggestions put forth during the seminar would be send to the concerned quarters as inputs from the CUK.